Graduation is approaching quickly. Upon the date of this publication, there will be 74 days left for Forest Grove seniors to complete their year. As the end approaches, motivation to finish school work becomes almost nonexistent, due to a phenomenon by the name of Senioritis, a joke phrase used to describe the lack of motivation seniors in high school feel because of how worn out and pressured they get as they near the end of their four-year work. It’s basically a burnout. And it’s more than just a funny phrase: dropout rates in Oregon high schools are higher in comparison to a handful of other states, and senioritis only contributes to it.

Senioritis usually hits after winter break and college applications are all turned in. This is understandable. For seniors, turning in college applications can feel like you’re done with a major hurdle of work, making the rest of your second semester seem trivial in comparison. This mindset can cause grades to slack, and students can lose acceptance to their colleges based on second-semester grade drops alone. College can also blind them to deadlines. For many, college is a bright future. Looking into the future that it provides, the shine draws them like moths and it feels almost silly to focus on things like an essay in English or a presentation in Geometry. So they stop caring altogether.

Another reason senioritis happens is that life is about to restart. After graduation, students are stuck in that weird phase where their responsibilities shift and many people in their lives are starting to expect new things of them. They suddenly have so much more to worry about as they make the life transition into adulthood, which is very overwhelming. Facing all that change, pressure, and responsibility can take a toll on grades and school work priorities. Getting closer to leading adult lives while being stuck in the last months of high school feels almost like a waste of time, resulting in more senioritis. It feels like an invisible clock is ticking down to when your life changes, and you’re stuck in math class.   

So now many seniors are faced with the challenge of overcoming this obstacle. How do you stay motivated in the face of great change? The first thing to do is to set small goals. Senioritis mostly happens when students look into the future and start seeing the bigger picture of graduating. Taking things day by day can help you stay focused on the last of your exams and assignments.

A second step is to keep the end in mind, but change the way you think about it. There isn’t a number of days you rush through till graduation, it’s a number of days that you have left to do your best and make as much positive change possible. Instead of viewing assignments as things you have to do to get to graduation, think of them as set checkmarks that help you move through the end of the year.

The last thing is to not take on so many major issues at once. Transitioning to life after high school doesn’t have to happen overnight.  Lean on your friends and family, they’ve all gone through or are going through the same thing that you are. Help is all around you wherever you are. Graduation should be a celebration, not a burnout.